Mary Papazian Chosen As Sothern Conn. State U's Next President

Southern Connecticut State University faculty and students and Board of Regents President Robert Kennedy will wecome the university's newly named president, Mary A. Papazian, to campus Thursday afternoon.

Papazian's campus welcome, scheduled for 3 p.m., comes a few hours after the Connecticut State University System trustees made her their unanimous choice for Southern's next president.

Papazian, who is provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at Lehman College in the Bronx, was one of two finalists for the position. The other was Stanley F. Battle, interim president of Southern since May 2010.

The trustees' recommendation was scheduled to go the Board of Regents for Higher Education for ratification at 2 p.m. But with the welcoming ceremony announced at 1 p.m., it was clear the Board of Regents would approve Papazian's appointment.